TEP Foundation Programs

The Tennessee Equality Project Foundation or TEP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 2005 and incorporated in Tennessee. The TEP Foundation provides educational and awareness programming in Tennessee to advance the inclusion and equality of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in our state.

Here are some of our programs. Links will be provided as available:

Tennessee Open For Business: Tennessee Open For Business is a program for companies in Tennessee that pledge not to discriminate against their customers or employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Membership is free.

SAFE (Schools Are For Everyone) Tennessee: SAFE (Schools Are For Everyone) Tennessee is a program that helps citizens across the state work for safer schools in their community. Bullying is a growing problem in our schools. Working together, we can find solutions to make our schools safer for all students.

Upper Cumberland Pride: A special committee of the TEP Foundation, Upper Cumberland Pride hosts an annual celebration for the LGBT and ally community in a 14-county region. Upper Cumberland Pride also provides awareness for the values of equality and inclusion throughout the year.

Tennessee Equality Voice: Tennessee Equality Voice is our program for shaping a media message for equality in Tennessee. TEP responds to more media interview requests, pitches more stories, and submits more op-eds than another LGBT organization in our state.

LGBT Diversity Training: The TEP Foundation curriculum helps prepare workplaces for inclusion of LGBT people. 80 leaders of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office went through the program successfully in 2014.

Tennessee Ready for Marriage on DAY ONE: No longer active, this program prepared volunteers around the state to help with the transition to marriage equality in Tennessee. Training sessions took place in Johnson City, Knoxville, Cookeville, Collegedale, Nashville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, and Jackson.